Hell's Angel
by solitaryloner
Summary: Mikuo's a bastard, but he has reasons why. The biggest reason: He's the heir to the Hell realm, the son of the fallen angel Lucifer...also known as Satan. His cruelty makes him the perfect Hell ruler, but within him there's a tiny spark of kindness he rigidly denies. He hates the idea of love, but one day he realises that he's falling in love with his greatest enemy...MikuoXMiku.
1. Chapter 1

_**Solitaryloner: **This story has been nagging at me for a while now. I know I really should be updating my other stories or studying for my exams, but seriously I really wanted to write the first chapter for this, at least._

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He sat alone on a bench, watching the crowd walk past him like he was invisible. And in a way, he was - that was how humans were like. They didn't pay attention to their environment, they didn't think that there was any need for them to be alert to their surroundings.

They thought that they were at the very top of the food chain...at this thought, a smile curved his lips, and he smirked, closing his eyes. That was the downfall of humans. They were so smugly enclosed in their sense of superiority, they didn't notice that they were being strangled, slowly drowning in that same false sense of security. Their pride was their downfall, the reason why they were weak.

Humans had never been the hunters. They had always been only the hunted. These weak, arrogant fools thought that they had nothing to fear. They had lost all of their survival instincts, the whole lot of these mortals, and looking at how they were so foolishly living was annoying him. Humans needed to be more perceptive.

Humans thought that they had nothing to fear, so they stopped being observant. They stopped being wary, stopped noticing when there was even a slight change around them...they stopped being perceptive, stopped being able to sense when there were bad vibes around. They could no longer tell when something could endanger them - their curiosity would kill all of them.

In fact, if there was one thing that humans seemed to be drawn to, it was bad vibes. When animals sensed him in their midst, they froze, terrified that he would see them. Would pounce on them. Humans, on the other hand? No, they had no such qualms. They wanted him to approach them, and they gladly welcomed his presence, too. It was all very strange, to him.

He wondered whether he should continue staying in the mortal world. He, the hunter of the hunted. It was boring here, even though he was rather amused by how readily humans came up to him, like self-sacrificial little lambs. Their lack of self-preservation was something that would always astound him, frankly.

''Hey,'' an unfamiliar voice, the voice of a girl, sounded, a little too close to him for his comfort. Instantly, his eyes flew open, his fingers curling into fists as he tensed, animal instincts ready to lash out in the face of possible danger. All he saw was a blonde girl, her hair tied to one side of her head, with inquisitive violet eyes. He relaxed, if only marginally.

''What do you want?'' he asked emotionlessly. He was thankful that it wasn't one of his brethren, though at the same time he felt a little resigned - yet another human girl. How irritating. He detested the way they were drawn to him, like they had no minds of their own - they reminded him of dogs in heat. Female dogs. Bitches, then. Every single one of them.

''You seem pretty bored, sitting down here all by yourself,'' she said flirtatiously, flipping her yellow phone open. He stared at the phone with narrowed eyes, then looked back up at her. ''My name is Neru Akita, what's yours?''

''It's not important, nor do I see how my name is any of your business,'' he said coolly, not caring about the way her face fell. ''Do you have something you need to say urgently? Otherwise, please leave me alone.'' And he left it at that.

The girl was persistent, though. He granted her that. ''Come on, surely you'd like some company, wouldn't you?'' she smiled winningly at him. He stared back at her, face stony. ''Are you meeting someone here or something? Because if you are, I could keep you company until they arrive.'' This time, the offer sounded almost pleading.

''I'm not waiting for anyone,'' he continued in that same empty way. He hoped that she would leave him alone now - it was getting rather tiresome, having to put up with the questions of this mortal girl. Who did she think she was? Talking to him like he was her prey...like he was one of the boys who would come running, panting, to her the moment she crooked a finger at them. Right. He felt insulted.

Did she really think that she was worth his attention? To him, she was nothing more than an irritating fly, buzzing around his head and annoying him with her incessant, pointless questions. As if she had nothing better to do. Well, even if she wanted entertainment, then she should go find some of her own.

He was most definitely not here to amuse her. In fact, he was beginning to wonder whether he should just go back home and end this period of rebelliousness. Perhaps, like his father had said, it was time for him to start learning how to rule - he stopped that line of thought.

He didn't want to be bound down to his father's realm. He didn't want to lose his freedom - and if he sneaked back to his father now, his father would ridicule him for not having enough nerve to stay outside of home, even after running away. No, he wasn't going to allow his father the satisfaction of laughing at him.

He was strong. And he was his father's heir. He could survive on his own, with or without his father's help, and he would not return home until his father himself came to him, begging for his return. Until then, he was staying here, and he wasn't going to give up his freedom.

Staying in his father's realm was suffocating. And having to learn how to hold and control the reins of ruler-ship was even more draining. He didn't want to take his father's place, but he had no choice. He was the only child, and if he didn't agree to take his father's place, their realm would be left without a ruler. He knew all of this, but a part of him recoiled at having to learn how to rule.

''Then I could always stay here and just talk to you, then! You seem pretty bored, with no one to hang out with,'' the blonde girl tried again. He shot her a blank stare - he had already completely forgotten her name. She was a stubborn girl, and he was starting to become more than a little annoyed by her presence.

''Just leave me alone,'' he said quietly, but in his words there was enough venom to send even the most courageous man fleeing. The blonde girl's violet eyes widened in shock, her lips trembling as he revealed a glimpse of what he truly was. Of how unlike other boys he was.

He was not the same as she was. Fear sparked in her violet eyes as he raised his head to meet her gaze, his eyes narrowed. Fear that roused her instincts, the instincts which had all but disappeared under a sea of human complacency - she skittered back and fled from him. He smirked, closing his eyes once again.

He hadn't intended to let his human mask slip, but he had been desperate. He waited for his scent to change back to human, then sighed and rose from the bench. He had to change his position now, so that they couldn't scent the change. His father's minions might have picked up on his scent - he knew that his father was still searching desperately for him. He wasn't going to let his father find him that easily.

He had let the girl catch a glimpse of age-old terror, in his eyes. He had let her see who was the true predator, amongst all of these soft bellied morons, and she would do well to remember the lesson learnt - that there was always something out there. More powerful, more menacing, than even the worst humans.

Why, she ought to thank him for helping her to reawaken her prey instincts. The deeply buried awareness and fear of the predator, which helped the prey to survive. Humans were prey, not predators, and they would do well to remember that. She would now always be nervous, would always be wary - and that meant that she would survive in this world.

Humans were meant to fear his kind. Over time, they believed that his kind were nothing but myths, that they were made-up stories and legends. That nothing about them was true, and that they, as mortals were all safe. They thought that they had been largely successful at clawing their way up, to the very top of the food chain. But they weren't.

Human arrogance. Human pride. It was their downfall, the reason why all of them would die a painful death, one by one...he shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing around the carnival. It was extremely crowded, and he hated it - but he chose to come here. His human scent, mixed with the scent of so many other humans, would throw his father's minions off his trail, no doubt. He was safe...for now.

He shouldn't have let his true side show, earlier, even if it was to chase that irritating girl away. But he couldn't regret that - it had been so long since he had last come out from behind this human mask. His back itched, but he quelled the urge - soon, he promised himself. When he went to a place he knew his father's minions wouldn't be able to find him at.

It had been too long since he had last flown...someone tugged at the hem of his shirt, and startled he glanced downwards. A young blonde girl with a white ribbon on her head - no older than six, probably. Her height reached to slightly below his hips. She tugged again, and gritting his teeth he stepped away. Human children.

The most annoying of the whole lot of them. But even though he tried to deny it, he had always had a soft spot for children - a weakness he tried to conceal. It would do his reputation no good, if any of his kind ever found out that he was merciful when dealing with children. ''What do you want?'' he snapped at the child.

Tears instantly filled her large blue eyes, and he squashed the sense of guilt which started to plague him. She was nothing but a human child, and her tears shouldn't mean anything to him. His kind was feared for being heartless and cruel - so he shouldn't be feeling this sense of reluctant pity for this child right now.

''Mr, my balloon...'' the child cried, pointing up at the lamppost that he was leaning against. He looked up in the direction which she was pointing at - a red balloon floated cheerfully in the breeze, its string tangled around the top of the lamppost. He arched an eyebrow at her.

''Get a new one, then,'' he said dismissively. If it was possible, the child started crying even louder, and he rolled his eyes in irritation, cursing his own weakness. If any of his father's henchmen saw this right now...he was going to gouge their eyes out and eat them. And preferably cut out their tongues so they wouldn't speak of his act of..._kindness._

He was known for being cold and heartless, which was why he was the heir to his father's throne. He was feared, even amongst his own kind, and if anyone saw him helping this kid now, his reputation would plummet. Of course, he was only helping because her crying was annoying him. Not because he pitied her or wanted to help her or anything. And he wanted her to shut up and stop crying.

It would be difficult to get away with killing a child, especially in front of a carnival crowd, so he would stay his hand for now. Growling, he turned, then began to climb up the ridiculously tall lamppost with ease, reaching for the blonde girl's balloon. Below him, her loud wails had quietened into soft sniffles, and he sighed in relief. Her loud wails had given him a headache, and he was thankful it had stopped.

Reaching up, he methodically unwound the tangled string from the lamp, and with the balloon in hand he slowly came back down from the lamppost. Unceremoniously, he handed the child the balloon back, and she smiled up at him, wiping the tears away from her face. He stared back, his face as emotionless as ever.

Around them, the crowd which had gathered to watch started to applaud, and he smiled in response, though the smile was a strained one. The girl tugged on his shirt again, and gritting his teeth he stared back down at her again.

''What do you want now?'' he tried not to snap this time, amidst all the soft compliments of, ''What a nice young man!'' He hated those compliments on how kind he was - _he was not kind, _and he wished he could shut the crowd up. Permanently. So that they would stop talking about how nice he was. It was disgusting him.

''Um...my babysitter wants to thank you for helping me! She wants to talk to you!'' the girl said shyly, tugging on his shirt hem again. Annoyed, he looked in the direction she indicated, and his breath caught as his eyes widened in shock. The little girl was saying something else now, but he didn't listen.

The teal haired girl stared right back at him, a gentle smile on her face. There was a little blonde boy in her arms, who looked to be around the same age as the little girl whose balloon he had just reluctantly retrieved. The boy, who had bright blonde hair tied back into a short ponytail, appeared to be the little girl's twin - they certainly resembled. The little boy had his small arms wrapped around the neck of the teal haired girl as he slept in her hold.

The girl had emerald eyes, and teal hair which fell in gentle waves down her back. It reached all the way to her knees, in its untied state. The small boy, who was still dozing, had one of her long silky locks grasped in his fist. She had perfect features, with high cheekbones, a pert little nose, full and lush lips the colour of rubies. Her eyelashes were long and thick, framing her large sparkling eyes, making her look like...a doll, almost. She was beautiful.

Her delicately curved eyebrows arched as he continued staring at her, and the little girl's voice broke through his daze. ''That's my babysitter!'' the girl chirped. ''Are you going to go and talk to her, or not? Because I want to go on the Ferris Wheel,'' the girl pouted.

Talk to her..? He definitely would. It was the first time he had seen someone else with teal hair, teal hair just like his, and he was more than just intrigued by her. She was easily the most beautiful human he had ever seen.

_Who is she...?_


	2. Chapter 2

Warily, he approached the tealette, the little blonde girl still clinging on to his shirt hem. He ignored her, he was so intent upon the older girl. Teal hair...he had never seen anyone else with the same shade of hair as him before, and he was admittedly curious about this girl.

The girl regarded him with her large emerald eyes, eyes just like his as well. The exact same shade of vivid green. But there was where the similarity ended. His eyes were slanted and narrowed. Cold. Her eyes were large and innocent. Warm. They were complete, total opposites...he felt that she looked too trusting. Too innocent. Humans were so fragile.

He came to a stop before her, the blonde girl's grip on his shirt never loosening. He parted his lips, but said nothing - he didn't know what to say. What did humans say when they met for the first time? Did they greet each other? He doubted that they communicated like his kind - when he met others for the first time, they tried to kill each other. This was to demonstrate who was stronger between them.

He knew that if he greeted her the way he usually greeted someone else of his kind, she was going to end up dead on the ground. And he would then be charged with possible manslaughter...again. No. Not happening. The previous time that had happened, it had taken him a lot of time and energy to persuade all the eyewitnesses that they were hallucinating.

So he stayed silent, unsure what to say. The girl smiled at him. ''Hello,'' she spoke first, her voice soft, and he tensed. Her voice was sweet, a high-pitched soprano, and it rang through the air, reminding him of chiming bells. ''Thank you for helping Rin to get back her balloon,'' she gestured at the small girl, who grinned toothily up at him, still holding that blasted red thing.

He shrugged uncomfortably as the tealette continued staring at him, waiting for him to say something. He continued being silent, and he noticed her bright smile dim a little. She shifted, wrapping her arms more securely around the blonde boy. The kid frowned in his sleep, turning his head to bury his face in the crook of her neck, and carefully she stroked his hair.

''My name is Miku Hatsune,'' she suddenly said, and his eyes darted up, meeting her own puzzled green ones. ''That's Rin Kagamine, as you know...she seems to like you,'' Miku smiled, and he scowled down at the girl, who just continued beaming, still holding on to his shirt. ''This boy is her twin, Len Kagamine,'' Miku continued. ''What's your name?''

It was the same question. The question that the other girl, the one with long blonde hair, had asked. But somehow, he didn't feel like shutting her out - he was so curious about her. He wondered who her parents were...he had never seen a human with teal hair before. He hadn't seen anyone with teal hair before, not even amongst his kind, and she intrigued him.

''I'm Mikuo Hatsune,'' he felt his lips tilt up into a smirk as he noticed how similar their names were. They even shared the same last name. Miku blinked at him, obviously startled.

Then suddenly, she laughed, a clear, bubbling little laugh. It was sweet and melodious, like the cheerful sound of a stream flowing. ''Are you serious?'' she asked in between soft giggles. ''Our names are so similar!''

Abruptly, she quietened as the boy in her arms stirred. Drowsily, his eyes opened, the same cerulean blue as Rin's. ''What's going on?'' he slurred, voice sleepy. He glanced at Mikuo, smiled at him, then turned to stare at Miku. ''Um, big sis, who's that?'' he cocked his head, his blue eyes wide and innocent. Mikuo resisted the urge to scowl - such innocence annoyed him. Little wonder he disliked children so much.

''Someone,'' Miku answered soothingly, kissing his forehead. The boy blinked at her, then nodded, accepting her answer. Yawning, his eyelids fluttered closed, and he went back to sleep, curling up even more into her arms. Miku glanced up from Len's peacefully sleeping face, shooting Mikuo an apologetic look.

''He couldn't sleep last night,'' she offered as an explanation. ''Usually, he's not so sleepy. He's actually as playful as Rin is. But I guess he's really tired today,'' she smiled fondly down at the little boy. Mikuo arched an eyebrow.

''So you're their babysitter?'' he asked casually, wondering whether he could find out more about this tealette. At the same time, he tugged his shirt free of Rin's grasp, but she just clung on to another part of his black shirt. Mikuo growled softly and just gave up.

''Yeah...'' Miku clucked her tongue, and Rin glanced up at Mikuo. Reluctantly, she let go of his shirt, running over to stand next to Miku, and Miku reached down with one arm, patting Rin on the head. She balanced Len on her other arm with an easy expertise. ''For the past few weeks. Two months, I think.''

Two months. The same amount of time he had spent running away from home. He blinked. ''Only two months, and they already like you so much?'' he asked, voice disbelieving.

''Well, I spend a lot of time with them...their parents went on an overseas business trip. They work in other countries, most of the time. And their previous nanny resigned to find another job, so they hired me. I stay with these two...I'm a parent to them, sort of. I'm paid enough to cover all expenses, and more.''

That explained a lot. Mikuo wondered how the petite tealette had the patience to do such a thing - he couldn't stand being around children. Which made him wonder why Rin seemed so fond of him...most toddlers took a look at him and ran away from the scary man, crying for their mothers. Said mothers would glare at him for scaring their children, and he glared back.

Miku wasn't glaring at him, though. Because the two kids she was looking after had not run away, crying, from him. It was all so strange. Maybe he was losing his intimidating look. He had spent so much time in the mortal world recently, he was starting to become soft. Just like the rest of these human fools.

''So...do you want to hang out with us?'' Miku now offered a bright, expectant smile, one hand holding on to Rin, the other arm wrapped tight around Len. ''I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine,'' she added quickly, the radiance of her green eyes dulling just a little.

Mikuo would have said no, normally. But then, as said before, this was not a normal situation. And this was not a normal girl. Because normal people did not have teal hair. He would have said that she was the same as his kind, perhaps - other than the fact that she smelled wholly, completely...human. And even the most powerful of his kind were unable to fully conceal their scent. Unless they were him. Or his father. Then again...they were different.

Nope. Definitely human. No trace of his kind on her, not a single trace. But did humans ever have teal hair? He wondered at the thought. ''I'll come with you,'' the words slipped out of their own accord, startling him, and her eyes brightened once again. She beamed at him, looking for an instance just like Rin.

She didn't annoy him like the blonde girl did, though. Thankfully. ''Is your hair really teal?'' he asked, arching an eyebrow at her. She blinked at him, startled, then slowly she nodded.

''It's natural,'' she confirmed, her eyes glancing across him. ''Like yours, I suppose?'' she stared at his teal hair. ''Come to think of it...you're the first person I've ever seen with teal hair. Dyed or not,'' she said thoughtfully. ''I've never really noticed it before, even back home...'' she glanced up at him. ''Nice to meet you!'' she chirped. ''I hope we can be friends?''

He stared at her, then at the way she was struggling with the two toddlers. Sighing in irritation, he held out a hand. ''I'll help you look after the girl,'' he mumbled. ''You look like the two of them are going to suffocate you.''

Rin immediately scampered over to him, leaving Miku's hand empty. Hastily, Miku reached up to adjust Len, who looked like he was going to fall out of her hold. Rin beamed up at him happily, and Mikuo glared down at her. She ignored the glare, still smiling, and he exhaled through his nose. Kids. They were so annoying.

''Don't touch me,'' he warned her in a flat way. Glancing around, he saw no sign of his brethren, and allowed himself a small smile. It was good to be able to take a break for a while. A break from being hunted by his kind.

His kind...they would be ruthless when they dealt with him. Mikuo's father had demanded his minions to drag Mikuo home at all costs, and they wouldn't care about whether any humans around him were hurt in the process. Demons were just unfeeling like that. They cared not for those weaker than they were.

Demons...Mikuo was a demon. He was a demon on the run from Hell, the realm that he was supposed to reign over when the time came. His father was Satan, the ruling demon, the ruler of Hell. And he was his one and only son, Mikuo Hatsune. Making him the heir, a runaway heir...the heir that the demon kind would do anything to retrieve. It was their orders.

He had spent the last two months on the run from his kind. And he could continue running from them. He always shifted his location, throwing them off his trail, and he could never let his guard down. He couldn't afford to be caught - he didn't want to be caught and be confined to Hell, just like the rest of them.

He took a sideways glance at Miku Hatsune, and slowly he felt his lips tilt up into a smirk. But he could afford to relax, for just a little while. They wouldn't find him so easily, especially not when he was disguised as a human. His scent, especially. They couldn't trace his demon scent, so for now...he was considered safe.

Besides, his demon brethren would never once consider the fact that he was with a human girl. They found humans beneath them, and were unwilling to communicate with prey. Mikuo had been like that too, at first, but then he had quickly realised that if he acted like a human, blending amongst them, they would be less able to find him. Which was good.

So...he supposed he could spend some time with this human girl. It would provide him necessary cover for a while - and he could get to know her a little better, too. See how long it would take for him to destroy all the frail innocence she possessed. It would be fun, he was sure. He had always been fond of seeing how he could manipulate people, tearing down the walls they built around themselves.

Why was this girl so innocent and trusting? Normally, such weakness would irritate him no end. It was a sign of her being weak. Weak like all mortals out there. But he didn't feel like taunting her, making her his prey...for once.

After all, he couldn't deny that she intrigued him deeply. Such innocence was almost...inhuman. The willingness to trust, like that of a child, in the more mature body of someone who already ought to know about all of the wicked, sinful ways of the world...of other humans. It was idiotic of her. She looked eighteen - how could she be such a naive fool, so willing to believe and trust in a total, complete stranger?

What kind of person was she?


	3. Chapter 3

Miku Hatsune glanced at the scowling boy next to her, the boy with the same teal hair as hers. Mikuo Hatsune...their names were so similar. And they shared so many of the same characteristics. The resemblance between them was rather eerie, in fact, and she wondered if there was a reason for that resemblance.

Rin tried to get his attention again, but Mikuo just rolled his eyes and turned away from the little blonde. Miku resisted the urge to shake her head - it was plainly obvious that Mikuo was someone who wasn't too fond of children...well, perhaps wasn't too fond was a little bit of an understatement. Rin didn't lose her sunny smile though, still sticking close to the boy.

Miku loved Len and Rin. They were sweet and adorable, even if they were a little difficult to handle sometimes. But most of all, the reason why she had been sent here to begin with was because Len and Rin were...unique. Their innocent childishness made them trust easily, like her kind - but at the same time, they could look into the deepest part of someone, their very essence, and tell who those people were.

If Rin liked Mikuo so much, then that meant she must have seen something inside the teal haired boy. Something worth loving, something that was good and kind. So Miku could trust Rin's judgement. If Rin trusted Mikuo, then Miku could do the same - the twins never judged wrongly. It was strange, but their ability to see the essence of someone...it was even better than her own kind, and that was admirable.

She could sense things too. But not as well as the twins, despite them being only human. Which was why she had been sent down to protect them from any external influences which might threaten their innocence and purity. Their previous babysitter had been another one of her kind as well, but she had been sent to protect someone else.

So here she was, looking after the Kagamine twins. She cast another glance at the sullen boy - he was so strange. She couldn't sense his soul, his essence...it was like he had somehow managed to put a barrier up around himself, preventing anyone from probing him, from trying to find out who he was. She would have thought he was otherworldly, were it not for the fact that his aura was one of a humans'.

Demons had different auras from humans. And his aura wasn't demonic. Nor was he one of her kind...she didn't recognise him. She had to assume that he was nothing more than a human. A hostile human, one who didn't like to reveal himself to the world, but nothing more than a human nevertheless. She shivered, hoping that her own aura was still disguised. She still wasn't very good at disguising her presence, but she hoped she could pass.

She didn't want to risk being found by any demons. They would all be drawn to her, if they realised that she not a human - their kind was drawn to her kind, because they wanted the powers that all of her kind were endowed with. By killing her, demons would be able to absorb her powers and become more powerful. That was one reason why she didn't like demons. They would kill her if they ever knew who she was...that she wasn't a human.

But also, there was a personal reason...she gritted her teeth, shaking her head as she tried not to think about it. The reason why she disliked demons. The reason why most of her kind spurned her, as well. She was completely nothing like _him _- she was different, even if no one believed her. Her kind didn't hate her, for they could not hate, but they certainly avoided her. They treated her as though she was different from them...and in a way she was.

She shot the boy next to her another look. His green eyes were narrowed slightly as he stared out at the rest of the carnival. He didn't seem to be here to have fun, and she had to wonder exactly what he was doing here. Was he hiding from someone? The wary looks he kept shooting around him certainly seemed to indicate so. Who was he hiding from?

But she shouldn't probe. It wasn't any of her business. And she doubted that he would tell her anyway. Even if he did say anything to her, she wouldn't be able to help...probably. She wished she could help, though - it was in her nature to try and offer assistance, whenever she could. To try and extend a helping hand. She couldn't resist wanting to help people...it was expected of her kind, and she couldn't go against the urge to help. Even at her expense.

Honestly, this urge to assist people could hinder her at times. Occasionally, she helped at her own expense, and she always wondered why she was such a fool at such times. This would clearly be no exception. ''You seem like you're looking for someone. Are you in...trouble?''

Mikuo's head whipped around, a look of surprise flickering briefly through his green eyes. Quickly, though, the startled expression disappeared, replaced by his usual blank look. Miku was getting used to that emotionless gaze, though she had to admit that she didn't like it very much. The flat look that was always on his face unnerved her...like he had no feelings whatsoever. Like he...wasn't human.

''No, I'm not,'' his reply was toneless. Flat and emotionless. She could tell that he was someone who operated purely on logic, and logic alone. He probably thought that emotions weren't necessary...that all they would do was mess up his line of thought. Miku had come across such humans before, and they always made her feel a little nervous. The cold clarity and logic he possessed wasn't natural.

''But you keep looking around...almost as though you fear that someone is looking for you?'' she hedged, swallowing. This boy made her feel a little wary. Fearful. But then, if Rin liked him...then she knew that he wasn't evil. Rin didn't like evil people. The people she clung on to were those who were truly, really kind, deep down in their hearts. Perhaps the nicety Rin could sense in Mikuo was buried far deeper than in any other human she had ever met.

''Just because I'm looking around doesn't mean that I'm searching for anybody,'' he countered coolly. ''I'm just curious. Taking in the sights of the carnival,'' he added, almost like an afterthought. A slow smile curved his lips, but that smile still didn't reassure her much - it was a sly smile, a predatory smile...like the smile a wolf might give you right before it ate you up.

''Anyway, you seem to be pretty interested in why I'm here, aren't you?'' he changed the subject, catching her off-guard. ''May I ask why?'' he shot her a charming grin. Her eyes widened - were her thoughts that transparent? Hastily, she shook her head, letting a hesitant smile cross her lips. _I can trust him. I can trust the people that Len and Rin trust, _she repeated in her mind, like a mantra. It helped in lessening her nervousness...but only a little.

''I'm just curious about you,'' she piped up, beaming in response to his question. ''I mean, it's the first time I've seen someone with teal hair like mine. I can't help feeling...curious about you,'' she wrinkled her nose, realising her words were true. She really was rather fascinated by this boy. ''Where are you from?''

His smile seemed to freeze, becoming almost forced. ''Oh, nowhere,'' he answered casually, glancing away from her. ''I'm just a drifter. Drifting around with no parents or home,'' he laughed a little as he said that, but just like his smile, the laughter seemed a little forced. Miku blinked as she processed his words.

''You're a runaway?'' she inquired, cocking her head curiously. His lips pressed together, and he turned back to face her. Those slanted, icy green eyes regarded her coolly, but she could see faint sparks of curiosity in their depths. His aura was swirling, and she could glimpse light blue in it - curiosity, indeed. He was curious about her, about why she was asking him all these questions about him. She could tell.

''When you put it that way...yes, I suppose I'm what you could call a runaway,'' he finally said, his eyes becoming disinterested once more. The light blue faded, becoming his normal black, mixed with faint sparks of gold. Miku swallowed again, then looked away from him. He was rather intimidating, even though she couldn't get rid of her curiosity about him.

Her kind could see auras. It was a skill that all of her kind possessed - but she was better at seeing auras than most others. She was better than many at hiding her aura too, making her aura seem like that of a human...though she still wasn't exceptionally good at it. She blinked rapidly, shaking her head, and the auras that she could see around people disappeared. She smiled. Much better, and less distracting.

Of course, seeing auras was an ability she could turn on and off, at will. There were many different kinds of auras, with different colours. Different colours all indicated a different emotion, a different personality. Like how light blue indicated curiosity. Most auras were a mix of colour, a mix of different personalities.

Mikuo's one wasn't, though. His was a pure, unadulterated jet-black. Black indicated a lack of emotion. A lack of kindness. A lack of basically everything. Black auras were for those who closed themselves off, for those who revelled in loneliness and cruelty. They were auras for the loners, the criminals. And Mikuo was both.

Yet at the same time, there had been a tiny hint of pure, shimmering gold in that inky black darkness, gold which had made her hesitate in her judgement of him. Gold was an indication of a pure, kind heart. Black and gold were supposed to be contradictory auras, yet his had both...even if the gold was in minute amounts. So who was he, exactly? It was all so strange.

Not to mention, she had never once seen teal hair before. Teal was a shade of hair colour that she had never once seen before, not even amongst her kind, and especially not amongst humans. Mikuo Hatsune had teal hair. It made her wonder where, exactly, he had come from. Teal hair wasn't common, after all. Since she had never seen it before, not on anyone other than herself...so what was he, really?

Perhaps it would be good for her to stick close to this boy, and see what she could find out about him. Miku believed in Fate. She had run into this boy for a reason, she was sure of that, and she would find out what exactly that reason was. It would be too much of a mere coincidence for this boy, who shared a similar name and the same rare shade of teal hair as her, to just stumble across her path.

What did Fate have in store for her and this boy? Well, she supposed that all she could do was to wait and see. After all, that was what she was good at. Waiting and waiting. Patience and Temperance were two virtues that her kind extolled, and every single one of them followed these two virtues closely. Ever since young, she had been taught to be patient, so that was what she did. She waited. She was patient.

If she could not be patient, she would not have been sent down to watch over the Kagamine twins. They were still children, and they needed someone with the utmost care and patience to watch over them, and to make sure that demonic influences didn't get to them. Miku guarded them carefully, comfortable in the role of their babysitter, and she would be able to apply the same patience to Mikuo Hatsune.

Fate has its own ways of making sure everything would work out. She knew that eventually, she would realise why she had met this boy, this strange...almost inhuman boy. Inhuman not only in his personality, in his aura, but in his beauty. He was a devilishly handsome boy, and she found that she got distracted from her job easily, just by staring at him.

She was staring again, and crossly she looked away. He didn't notice her staring at him - in fact, he seemed determined to avoid her gaze. Silence settled between them, but it wasn't an awkward kind of silence - in fact, she rather liked it. It was a comfortable kind of silence. Actually, despite the black of his aura, she felt rather safe in his presence. She didn't think he would do anything to hurt her.

After all, if he had any harmful intentions towards her, Rin wouldn't like him so much. Her curiosity about him would be satisfied eventually, she knew. But that curiosity wasn't her main priority now - looking after the twins was. Fate would sort everything out, without any interference required from her. So the only thing she had left to do was to wait.

Patiently waiting happened to be one of the things that angels were all very good at.


	4. Chapter 4

_If you don't make your way back to Hell, don't blame me when I refuse to stay my hand. _Mikuo gritted his teeth as his fingers shot to his forehead, the sudden pain making him blink. His father's voice echoed through his mind, the warning spoken in his usual toneless way.

_Give me one reason why I should. You don't even know where I am now - why do I have to pay you any attention? _His lips tilted up into a smirk - his father could bluster and threaten all he wished, but he didn't know where Mikuo was. So there wasn't any need for him to worry. It wasn't like his father could do anything to him...Mikuo wasn't weak, and anyway his father was bound to his realm. The Hell realm.

He couldn't leave Hell physically to find his missing son. Another reason why Mikuo detested the idea of being the ruler of Hell - the thought of never being able to leave Hell again, not physically...well, he just didn't like the idea of that. There was a low snarl, and then that voice whipped at him again - _Don't make me send out your little pet, Mikuo Hatsune._

Mikuo tensed. _Don't you dare touch Mastema, _he thought savagely in reply. _She'll tear through all the humans just to find me. You can't just unleash a succubus on the mortal world, Father. You know what they're like._

_She's a demon like you are. What would I care for the humans? _The voice hardened. _Since you seem to care for the humans so much, then I give you one month to return. No more, no less. Otherwise, Mastema will be sent to look for you, and when she drags you back to Hell, I'll make you personally clean up the bloody mess she leaves behind on the surface._

Mikuo hissed, trying to protest, but his father had already severed the connection between the both of them. Damn. Mastema was his loyal pet, a lovely little succubus he had tamed and pampered. She adored him, and he had been fairly upset that he couldn't bring her along with him, when he ran away - the succubus had been reluctant to leave the Hell dimension. He snarled in frustration, shaking his head.

What was he supposed to do? A month. One month, and Mastema would come to retrieve him. When the little she-demon came to the mortal world, she was going to tear through all the weak humans like they were nothing but paper. Mastema was a violent demoness, and she enjoyed watching blood run. Especially from humans. No, he couldn't let her run amok on the surface world - too many people would die.

His father would mock him for his weakness, but Mikuo couldn't let so many humans die just because of his pet. That wouldn't be fair...to him. Why should his mere little pet be allowed to have more fun than him? If there was any massacring of humans happening, he was going to be the one to start it...but he didn't want to kill anyone. Again. He had accidentally killed too many humans in these past two months, already. Brainwashing the police was not fun.

Besides, if Mastema was allowed on the surface world, she would drag him all the way back to Hell. Mastema knew his human scent, as well as his demonic one - there was no hiding from the demoness. And Mastema was, sadly, much stronger than he was physically. He wouldn't be able to run away from her for long. Even if he was her master, Mastema adored Hell, and she would want to drag him back there with her.

Succubi and Incubi were two of the physically strongest demons in the Hell realm. Females were Succubi, while males were Incubi. It was notoriously difficult to catch and tame one of them, but Mikuo had succeeded after aeons of heroic effort. Once tamed, succubi and incubi were loyal and loving pets, who would do anything to cling on to their masters and protect them from harm. They were protectors.

Protectors who got their energy from carnal sex. They fed on the sexual energy of humans, draining them so that they became listless and lethargic. Draining humans too much might even cause them to die. Mastema fed on mortals with a little too much relish for Mikuo's comfort. Anyway, Mikuo couldn't just allow Mastema out on the surface - his demon was incredibly violent. Thousands would die.

And Mikuo didn't want to return to Hell. But the only way he could prevent Mastema from being pushed into the mortal world by his father, was if he gave himself up and returned to the Hell realm. Either way, he had to return to that place. Well, this was aggravating. Mikuo decided not to think too much about it - he still had one month to decide what to do, anyway. One month would be more than sufficient to make his choice. For now, he would wait.

Tilting his head up, he shielded his eyes from the bright sun, watching the Ferris Wheel. Miku Hatsune had taken the two annoying kids up on it, and now the wheel was almost finishing its revolution. Before long, Miku would leave the wheel, and he could continue on his way. He gritted his teeth as he stared at the little bag he was helping her to hold. It was a small white backpack, carrying her sweet vanilla scent.

Boredom had caused him to unzip the bag and rifle through the things inside...not that there had been anything of particular interest. Just a book full of myths on angels and demons, some candy and a bag of potato chips. The only thing which had captured his attention was the book, and he had quickly flipped through it. There hadn't been anything particularly fascinating inside, though - mostly just old stories.

Humans were all fascinated by angels and demons, anyway. Though he didn't understand why. What made humans think that angels were all pure and incorruptible, and that demons were all evil bastards? That was not true. Occasionally. He couldn't really speak for demons - demons were rather sadistic, after all. But not all angels were sweet and kind, as how humans portrayed them to be.

Since he hadn't had anything better to do, he had agreed to carry her bag for her as she sat in the Ferris Wheel, since he hadn't wanted to ride in the cage with them. After he returned the bag to her, he would continue on his way. He needed to think - to think of a way to stay out of Hell, but without having his father unleash Mastema on him. He couldn't think of any solution at that very moment.

''Mikuo?'' he looked up as Miku's voice called out, and he met her emerald gaze, her lips tilted up into a small smile. ''Thank you for helping me to look after my things!'' she thanked him as she approached him, Len and Rin scampering after her. The male twin had apparently woken up while in the Ferris Wheel, and now he seemed as hyperactive as Rin was. Mikuo shrugged, handing over the bag.

''Where are you going to go now?'' Miku asked as she took the bag from his grasp. Mikuo's eyes narrowed, and he glanced up to return her curious gaze. Unbidden, his fingers curled into fists - this question was too personal for his comfort. Especially after hearing his father's little warning. He was too tensed up now, too suspicious, and her question set him on edge.

''Why do you want to know?'' he tried not to snap, though some of his hostility seeped into his voice, making her blink. She looked away, and Len and Rin ran up behind her, each one standing on one side - Len on Miku's left, Rin on Miku's right. The twins stared up at him, their cerulean gazes strangely penetrating, and feeling uncomfortable Mikuo glanced away.

''Just curious,'' Miku muttered, slinging her arms through the straps of the little white bag. ''I mean, you're a runaway and everything...you don't exactly have shelter or anything. Do you?'' she added hesitantly, blinking at him, her teal hair whipping around her face in the sudden breeze which had sprung up around them. Mikuo jerked back, startled by her words.

''It's not like it's really any of your business...'' though he attempted to sound hostile, his tone came out more bewildered. Why did she even care? It wasn't like she knew him all that well. He was nothing more than a stranger that she had met at the carnival. Miku blew out, her hands reaching down to rest gently on Len and Rin's heads. Somehow, she seemed to draw...something from touching them. Confidence?

''Even if it isn't, I don't want to see someone else suffer if I have the ability to help,'' she said in a quiet voice. But at the same time, there was bitterness in her voice, an unexpected bitterness he would never have imagined her to possess. ''The house we live in is pretty empty,'' she added at the look on his face. ''It's big, but only two rooms are filled up. You...can come and stay with us, if you wish. For a while.''

He was taken aback by her offer. She barely knew him, after all. Again, that sense of animal wariness filled him - did she expect something in return? ''Do you need anything from me, as payment?'' he finally muttered. ''I don't have any money for rent or whatever. And you don't know me. What makes you think that I really don't have a home to go to? I might just be trying to rip money off you with a sob story.''

Her lips tilted into a faint smile. ''Somehow, I don't think that you're lying,'' she said softly, her green eyes filled with confidence. Mikuo gritted his teeth, feeling faintly aggravated by her blind faith in him - that trust, that willingness to believe him, was so incredibly irritating. If she was a demon, one of his kind, he would have killed her for being so weak. So trusting.

But he would be a fool not to take up on her offer. He didn't feel worried about whether or not this was some kind of ruse - no one could act so well. Demons had an innate ability to sense when someone was lying, and this girl had clearly never lied before. Her offer was genuine. Besides, just in case she planned to trick him into anything, he felt that he was more than capable of defending himself.

Mikuo was used to lavish comfort, and the last two months had been...uncomfortable for him, to say the least. To obtain food and shelter, he had to waste energy in 'persuading' people to offer such commodities to him. He also had to...convince people to part with their money, to help this poor homeless boy. And it was very irritating. Having a shelter over his head would at least make him feel safer from Hell.

''What do you want in return?'' he finally asked grudgingly. There was no such thing as a free meal, and he would be a fool to not check for terms and agreements before he agreed to her deal. Miku blinked, confusion filling her eyes, before she sighed and shook her head at him. Mikuo frowned - why, had he said something wrong? No, he didn't think so.

''Company,'' the tealette answered, voice quiet. ''It gets lonely at times, even with Len and Rin around. I'd like to have someone else to talk to, at home. Someone my age, so that I won't feel so...alone. Would you mind staying at our house? Just until you settle whatever it is you have to, before you return home?''

The pleading tone of her voice made him blink. Loneliness? It was something he was unfamiliar, yet at the same time very well acquainted with. As a child, he had Mastema to keep him company, but he had never interacted with others of his age. Demon children weren't supposed to play with others. From young, they trained and learnt how to kill, how to fight to survive. Even if Mikuo was the Hell Prince.

Reluctant pity picked at him, and annoyed he sighed. ''Fine. I'll keep you company. But only for one month. Then I'll leave, okay?'' Glancing away, he rubbed at his bare arm. ''I owe you one,'' he muttered, unwilling to meet her stare. Mikuo might be a demon, but he knew when he was in someone's debt. And he always repaid his debts. Demons might be sadistic creatures who loved to maim and destroy, but they had their own twisted code of honour as well.

''You don't need to thank me, or owe me anything,'' her voice was still soft. ''So long as I have company, I think that's payment enough.'' Green eyes darted to him, then darted away just as quickly. Green eyes which were just like his. ''Just out of curiosity, why only one month?''

He shrugged. ''I...have other things to settle, after one month,'' he said coolly, turning away from her so that he could continue on his way. She walked slowly after him, hesitant to probe, and Mikuo shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He needed to think of a way to keep Mastema from killing all the humans on the surface, in one month's time. If only he could talk to her and tell her exactly what to do...

His eyes widened. Wait. Talk to Mastema? A slow smile curved his lips. Now, why hadn't he thought of that earlier?


	5. Chapter 5

Mikuo was currently somewhere outside of the carnival. He wasn't sure where he was, nor did he care - he had told Miku that he needed to go to the toilet. Then he had slipped away, out of the loud and flashy place, into the woods which happened to be so conveniently nearby.

He needed to be alone and undisturbed, and he needed to be somewhere far away from humans so that when Mastema actually came to him, she wouldn't run around amok and try to kill every single human in sight. He had no idea how he would try to explain that away. _I'm sorry, Officer. I've no idea what came over my pet kitty...I swear she's not usually so violent. No, of course I usually keep her on a leash!_

Convincing. Mikuo snorted, shaking his head - no, he was not going to end up in trouble with the law, not again. And especially not if it actually wasn't his fault, this time. Darting wary looks around him to ensure that he was really the only person currently in the clearing, he sank down onto the ground and closed his eyes, trying to penetrate through the thick fog which covered Hell and reach out to his little pet.

It was...difficult, for those on the surface to contact Hell. It didn't matter whether the one trying to communicate was a demon or not - Hell had a special barrier that made it exceptionally tricky for the surface world to talk to the Hell realm. This was to prevent lesser demons from reaching out to corrupt mortals, as well as to stop meddlesome humans from accidentally letting some demon loose.

Of course, there were occasions where both cases happened. Demons did manage to get to humans sometimes, and occasionally human idiots did end up accidentally setting a demon High Lord on the loose, in the mortal realm. But this didn't happen too often. If it did, then Mikuo was rather sure that the whole mortal world would have long been razed into rubble. And a whole lot of dust. Which wouldn't be too good.

Even for him, the Prince of Hell, it was rather difficult to summon up enough concentration and willpower to break through that barrier. He gritted his teeth, his fingers shooting up to his temples as he tried to block out unnecessary sound, focusing on his goal - to communicate with Hell, the place that he didn't want to be confined to. The barrier eventually broke under the will of the Hell Prince, and he was in.

In his mind, he was in Hell, though his physical body remained behind on the mortal realm. He could smell the sulphur, the heat of the flames, and he flinched as he heard the shrill wailing of tortured souls, trapped in here for all of eternity. Hell wasn't a pretty place, and quickly he hurried on his way. He wasn't in the right place - these were the torture chambers. He wanted to get to the Hell palace.

No one could see him, for he wasn't physically in Hell. Only his thoughts and his mind were there. His soul...no, he didn't know whether it was his soul down here or not. He didn't know whether or not demons had souls. Did they? It wasn't really a question he had ever had to wonder about, nor did the question bear any particular significance for him, so he pushed the question aside and hurried on his way.

He breezed through the hundreds and millions of torture chambers, trying hard not to let the shrieks of the damned affect him. Though they could not sense him, their fingers reached out from behind the bars of their cages, begging for someone to get them out of here. He quelled his reluctant pity for them - they deserved their punishments, and they deserved no pity. Only the true sinners were tortured in Hell.

Finally, he was out of there, trying to shake off the suffering and pain he could feel clinging on to him. The misery and anguish in there...it was so thick that it was almost like a fog, hanging on tightly and refusing to let go. Outside the torture areas, Hell was less like what humans perceived it to be, and more like any other place on Earth. Admittedly, Hell didn't have shopping malls or the like, but it wasn't all fire either.

Mikuo cast his gaze towards the palace. It was some distance away from him, on the bare empty landscape. He was standing on a grey moor, the orange light of the flames in the nearby punishment arenas giving the whole area a sickly orange glow. This was Hell - outside of the torture chambers that humans always wrote about, Hell was nothingness. It was nothing but stretches of empty land.

The sky was empty, a deep purple that was streaked through with hints of bloody crimson - the sight of a blazing sun that refused to fully set. It was neither night nor day in Hell. Hell was a place stuck in limbo, a place where time itself refused to move on. That was why once you entered Hell, every second felt like an eternity. An eternity of punishment, punishment and torture that would never cease.

There were other demons out on the featureless plains of Hell. Some were in their human forms, others were not. He recognised one or two of those in their human forms - the one under that barren, blackened tree nearby was Dell Honne. The silver haired man was actually one of the High Lords, one of the High demons of Hell who had the ability to grant every wish and desire, and to tempt sinners.

There was another one down there, who was walking in Dell's direction. He had navy hair and deep blue eyes - another High Lord, he and Dell were known to work together sometimes. Demons had no friends, only acquaintances, but Kaito Shion and Dell Honne appeared to be more friendly with each other than most demons were with their peers. Curious, Mikuo drifted in their direction across the bare fields, wondering what the two High Lords were discussing.

''...missing for two months already, you'd think that he would have come back by now,'' Kaito was saying. Mikuo's eyes narrowed - they appeared to be talking about him. Going just a little bit closer, he tried to listen to just exactly what the two demons were talking about. Dell took a while to reply, and as Mikuo waited his gaze drifted idly across the rest of the barren land. The grey grass here was dying. As usual.

''He's a headstrong child,'' Dell finally answered, and Mikuo's attention snapped back to him. ''Satan would not have accepted this son were it not for the fact that he possesses stubbornness and willpower that most other demons...lack,'' the red eyes of the High Lord narrowed, and he leant back against the tree, folding his arms across his chest. Mikuo let his gaze wander once more, watching the blackened tree.

Its spindly limbs climbed up into the multi-coloured sky, like a claw reaching out into nothingness. The tree was long dead, like most of the vegetation that was in Hell - but Mikuo was rather surprised that it hadn't yet toppled over in defeat. In a way, the tree reminded him of himself. Even if Mikuo ever got into trouble, he would not go down without a fight. Just like the tree, its dead roots clinging on to the land.

Kaito sighed. ''Satan is getting displeased,'' he whispered, looking around like he feared that something would happen to them. ''Mikuo has never run away from Hell for so long before - do you think that anything might have possibly happened to him? Up on the surface? Mastema says that she hasn't heard anything from him, and you know how strange that is - the boy absolutely adores his little pet succubus.''

Mikuo felt a strange longing at the sound of his pet's name. How he missed the little demoness. But he pushed that nostalgia away - he wanted to focus on their conversation. His eyes observed the Hell realm, watching the other, less important demons on the plains. They were travelling all over the place, some looking like humans, other in their true demon forms. Different demons had different forms.

Mikuo's true demon form, however, still resembled that of a human, though not quite. Mainly because of his heritage. He watched one of the lesser demons loping across the grass. It would have been able to pass for a normal wolf, up on the mortal plane...if you disregarded the horns on its head and the leathery wings which sprouted from its back. Dell snorted, catching Mikuo's attention.

''Ha! Mikuo Hatsune? In trouble? Keep in mind that he is the Prince of Hell himself, Kaito - he would know very well how to handle himself. Humans are lesser than us, after all,'' he stretched and yawned, his silver hair catching the glaring orange light of the sky. ''If anyone ever hears your doubts about his ability to handle himself, you'd be laughed at, Kaito. You're a High Lord. Don't concern yourself.''

''I wasn't talking about the humans,'' Kaito snarled, sounding impatient. ''I was talking about _them, _Honne,'' Dell stiffened, his red eyes widening slightly. ''Our enemies. They would love nothing more than to exterminate every single one of us, the way we want to do to them. What makes you think that he might not have run into an entire legion of them up there? You know how those do-gooders are like.''

''You mean them...'' Dell said thoughtfully, his formerly arrogant demeanour lessening slightly. ''The angels? No...if Mikuo had run into only one of them, then he could handle himself very well. One angel alone is not enough to take down a prince of Hell. And you know what those idiots are like - they don't send down their warriors unless they have a confirmed sighting of a demon. Their little guardian angels are useless when it comes to fighting.''

Mikuo had stiffened at those words. Angels? His lips instantly curled back into a snarl - he hated angels. Not the angels that humans wrote about, those kind and pure beings who couldn't hurt a fly - humans got their facts all wrong. Angels were guardians, true, guardians sent down to watch over mortals. But that was only half of them. There was another half to the angels, the half that was respected by their own kind, and despised by all of his brethren.

The warrior angels. The demon killers. Warrior angels were trained to destroy demons, and Mikuo utterly despised them. He had had a close shave with one of the angel warriors before, and it had been harder than expected for him to get rid of the heavenly being. Mikuo had been injured in the fight, and it had taken him a long time to fully recuperate from his wounds.

Now, he hated angels. To him, angels were his mortal enemies, either guardian or warrior. And he had vowed that if he ever came across another angel, he would make that angel pay for every single one of the injuries he had been dealt by that warrior angel, all those centuries ago. How long ago had it been? Two hundred years ago, it seemed - it wasn't a very long period of time. The memory still stung.

''Well, perhaps I was being paranoid,'' Kaito inclined his head, conceding defeat. ''But I do wonder what exactly the son of Satan is doing up there. You don't think that he ran into trouble...did he?'' Kaito frowned. Mikuo smirked at those words - yes, he had got into trouble. But he had managed to squirm his way out of it, and that was what was most important, wasn't it? He even managed to obtain some shelter...

Idly, he wondered whether he had run into any angels, the past two months he had been up on the surface. No, he didn't think so - angels had this...presence as well, just like demons did. Most demons were unable to fully conceal their demon scents, just like most angels were unable to fully hide their angelic presences. No, he didn't think he had seen any angelic being the past two months - luckily for them.

Dell just shrugged, and then the two High Lords started talking about some other affairs involving their underlings and other dreary matters. Mikuo quickly grew bored and decided to continue on his way, knowing that there wouldn't be any more reason for him to stay around. After all, he didn't think that the two demon High Lords were going to speak any more about the matter of him running away.

Drifting towards the Hell palace, he had to wonder whether anyone would notice his presence. Even Dell and Kaito hadn't - if they had, they didn't show any signs of knowing he had been listening. He was unseen and undetected, and that actually made him feel slightly uncomfortable. Things were going far too easily for his comfort, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something would happen.

Not soon. More like it had already happened. There was a nagging feeling in him that kept telling him that something was wrong, but he just couldn't place a finger on what exactly had him so unnerved. Shrugging the feeling away, he continued in the direction of his Hell home. The palace he usually resided in was giant and imposing, made entirely of jet-black stone. It was like a sentinel, still and intimidating.

As he neared the giant building, he could begin making out clearer details about the palace, such as the pair of writhing souls, carved into stone, set over the entrance of the palace. Their mouths were wide open, wailing in agony, and Mikuo resisted the urge to meet their empty stone gazes as he passed under the archway. He felt as though the stone figurines were watching him, waiting for him.

Inside the palace, he could see the other morbid decorations which were part of his home. Scenes of death and torture, carved painstakingly into the onyx walls, a carpet weaved with a pattern of skulls and blood. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling which was made up of finger bones, its centrepiece a bare grinning skull. This was the reason why most of the time, the palace doors were not locked.

Even demons were disconcerted by the whole thing, and most of them dared not to make their way further into the very heart of Hell. As Mikuo walked down one of the passageways which led to his room, the ornate torches which lined the walls of the long passageway flickered to life in their braziers, glowing brightly with an incandescent, greenish flame. He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the torches - no one else could see or sense him anyway, he was sure.

He passed through the door of his room, not bothering to open it. His ghostly body simply walked right through the door as though there was nothing there. With a sense of reluctant nostalgia, he regarded his familiar room - black and red, like the rest of the castle, it had been one of the less morbid parts of the whole place. At the very least, there had been less bones and skulls in his room, than the rest of the palace.

In Hell, his least favourite room had been his father's throne room. That whole room was made entirely out of human bones, of every shape and size. His father's throne had been a skeletal one as well. The floor itself was made of skulls, and they cracked and crunched under one's feet. Mikuo did not share his father's sense of black humour. He wasn't frightened of the skulls - he just found all the bones boring.

The decorations were all the same, after all - it was a palace that was designed to strike terror into the hearts of the sinful human souls which passed through, he understood that. But Mikuo found that all the morbid decoration could get extremely boring after a while. The only place without such grave touches was the garden - there, black roses bloomed. At least the roses didn't have skulls on them or anything.

He looked around his old room, filled with a wistful longing. He hadn't hated his life down in Hell - he just hadn't wanted to learn how to rule Hell, and end up being confined to this place for evermore. One thing he had missed while on the run was his room - it had been the one place in the whole Hell realm where he could do whatever he wanted, without having to behave the way as was expected of Hell aristocracy.

His gaze fell on his bed, and a smile slowly curved his lips. There lay his pet succubus, snoozing lightly on his bed. He crossed the room over to her, leaning over the lithe, slender body. ''Mastema,'' he called softly, knowing that she could hear and touch him even while he was in this incorporeal form. That was how strongly the two of them were bound together. The little demoness stirred in her sleep.

She was curled up on his pillow. Gently, he reached out to stroke her, patting at her lightly to wake her up. ''Mastema,'' he repeated her name, a little louder this time. Instantly, her eyes shot open, her teeth bared into a snarl as she rose from his bed, her red eyes searching the room for the intruder. Then her crimson gaze fell upon him, and the hostility instantly disappeared as she registered who he was.

Immediately she leapt off his bed, purring. Winding herself around his ankles, the pure black kitten nuzzled into the hem of his black denim jeans, her tail whipping excitedly back and forth. Mikuo grinned, crouching down to pick her up, and she curled up into his arms, purring all the while. ''Did you miss me, sweetheart?'' he murmured, stroking the top of her silky black head. She licked his hand.

Then he sighed and put her down. ''Human form, Mastema,'' he commanded. The kitten stretched, her tail sticking straight up into the air - and then her body elongated, transforming into the figure of a girl. Mastema rose on her hind legs as she changed, and by the time she was fully in her human form, she was standing on two feet. Mikuo regarded his succubus carefully, ensuring that she was perfectly fine.

The succubus was petite, and she looked no older than sixteen. Though of course, she was much older than that. She had long wavy black hair, and she kept her glowing, feline red eyes. Her skin was as pale as his, and she reached up to slightly below his shoulders. She stared up at him adoringly before rushing forward to throw her arms around him, nuzzling into the front of his shirt. Mikuo instantly reached out to steady her, his lips tilting up into a genuine smile.

''You left Mastema all alone here!'' Mastema wailed softly, her hands clutching at his shirt tightly. ''Mastema was so bored, waiting for Mikuo to return - but he didn't come back,'' she sniffled, tears swimming in her red eyes. ''Mikuo made Mastema feel lonely.'' He patted her on her head, trying to reassure her. His demon still spoke like a child, no matter how hard he tried to teach her otherwise.

''I'm sorry, sweetheart,'' he said apologetically. ''I just didn't want to go back to Hell. I don't want to be stuck in here forever. You know how I'm like, Mastema - if I have to be trapped in Hell for the rest of eternity, I'd go mad.''

''Why?'' Mastema demanded, letting him go and flopping back down on his bed. She glared up at him while upside-down - which, admittedly, took quite a bit of the intimidating factor away. ''Hell is fun! Mastema likes it here! She has all her friends around here, and Mikuo is here! And Mercedes is around here, too,'' she added thoughtfully. ''Mastema doesn't want to leave Mercedes. So she wants to stay here.''

Mercedes was Mastema's...boyfriend. Mercedes was an incubus who was a century Mastema's junior. True, a century wasn't a very long time, but Mikuo couldn't help teasing her about having a liking for younger demons. Every time he did that, Mastema would ignore him and refuse to speak to him until he apologised to her. And then he would just tease her again the next day. Teasing her was just too fun to give up.

''How about a little trip around the mortal plane?'' Mikuo now offered slyly, making her cock her head in interest. ''It'll be just for a little while,'' he added, not telling her that he actually intended to keep out of Hell for as long as possible. And that he wanted her along with him so that his father couldn't use her to wreak havoc and general destruction upon the mortal world. He hated cleaning things up.

''Really?'' his pet sounded suspicious as she flipped over, right side up, to stare at him. He could almost imagine her pawing at her ear as she considered. Mastema preferred to remain in her kitten form, which rather resembled her actual demonic form. Her demonic form was that of a large cat with a pair of red horns on her head, and with a pointed, barbed tail. In that form, her lithe body was usually covered with glowing blood-red runic symbols.

Not that Mikuo actually understood what all of those runes indicated or meant. He had never really learnt how to read the incubi and succubi language, though he did understand and was able to speak the language. ''Yes, really,'' he smiled at her, trying to wipe any trace of guile and deception away from his eyes - his pet was rather perceptive, and because of their master-pet relationship, she usually had an uncanny knack for knowing when he was lying.

''But Mikuo usually doesn't let Mastema out on the surface cause he's scared that she'll go around and kill all them yummy humans,'' she said suspiciously. Mikuo winced, but continued smiling at her innocently. Her crimson gaze softened a little, and then she shrugged, curling up in his bed once again. ''Fine,'' she grumbled. ''Mastema will go up there. Can she kill anyone while she's up in the mortal plane, Mikuo?''

''No, you can't,'' he told her apologetically. Her face fell, but she bounced off his bed excitedly, executing a perfect somersault and landing gracefully on the floor. He sighed, then quickly he beckoned her closer. ''Tattoo,'' he told her simply. She pouted at him, clearly unwilling. She didn't like being in her tattoo form. While in that form, she was unaware of her surroundings - she could talk to him and hear his thoughts.

But other than that, she was unable to do anything else. She couldn't talk to anyone else, nor would she have any idea what was going on around her. That sensory deprivation was what Mastema hated the most. Still, she obeyed his command, touching his hand lightly. Closing her eyes, she faded away, turning into the tattoo of a black dragon. Slowly, she slid up his upper arm to hide herself under his shirt sleeve.

_One thing Mastema really hates about this tattoo thing is Mikuo's body, _he could hear her grumble. _It's too hard. Do you have any idea how hard it is for Mastema to find a good place to rest? Not that she is complaining that you all muscle, Mikuo - but it wouldn't hurt for you to have some belly fat. Somewhere soft to rest on, _she continued muttering in his mind.

He could feel her sliding up and down his body, still trying to find somewhere soft to rest on. She finally settled on his back, stretching herself so that the dragon tattoo covered his entire back. How he knew what she was doing? He could feel the tattoo moving - it was like a soft stroke, as the tattoo moved across his body. Almost ticklish. Mastema knew he didn't like it when she fidgeted, which was why she did it.

It was her way of getting revenge for making her rest in her tattoo form. She wasn't able to jump off his body unless he explicitly allowed her to do so, or unless she sensed that he was in danger - like whenever his heartbeat sped up because of adrenaline. Then she would leap off his body to defend him from whatever was threatening him. Mikuo waited for her to settle down, before he closed his eyes and willed himself out of the Hell realm.

When he next opened his eyes, he was back in the forest clearing. He didn't think that too much time had passed so far - time in Hell moved much faster than time on Earth did, even though it seemed slower to the spirits being tortured in Hell. One day in Hell was equal to one hour spent on Earth. To the tortured spirits, a single second spent in Hell was equivalent to an eternity of punishment and agonising pain.

Reaching behind his back, he could feel his dragon tattoo branded on to his skin. Mastema stirred, restless beneath his shirt, and Mikuo smiled - Mastema had followed him up to the human realm. Rising from the ground, he brushed the dirt off his black jeans - now, he just had to make his way back to the carnival.

He wondered whether Miku would notice that he had been gone for a much longer time than necessary, for a trip to the toilet.


	6. Chapter 6

Miku was wondering where on earth Mikuo was. It had been an awfully long time since he had went to look for a toilet, and she found it all rather suspicious, to be honest. Rin tugged on her hand, her blue eyes wide. ''When is Mikuo returning?'' she asked Miku innocently.

''I don't know,'' she answered honestly. The child pouted, before she went off to crouch down in the grass, looking with interest at a small wild flower sprouting out of the green. Rin's attention span was extremely short, and she got distracted by the simplest of things. Len, on the other hand, was much more focused than his twin, and he continued staring at Miku, making her feel rather uncomfortable.

Len had the most piercing blue eyes she had ever seen - which was strange, given the fact that Len was only a six year old child. Despite his mischief loving personality, there was a certain...expression in his eyes, a look which spoke of wisdom that was far beyond his young age. ''Do you trust him?'' the young boy asked, holding on to her other hand. ''Mikuo?'' the way the question was phrased sounded...loaded.

''I don't know,'' Miku repeated, but this time more uncertainly. Mikuo Hatsune. How was it possible that two people who seemed so very similar, could actually be so different from each other? He was cold, and it wasn't just his personality - his very aura, what she sensed of him...he was totally frigid, and she didn't know whether or not that icy indifference was inborn, or whether it had been slowly developed.

The latter seemed more unnerving. After all, what could possibly have happened to him, such that his aura turned all black like that? It wasn't natural - she had never seen anyone else so...dark, before. Pure, unadulterated onyx black, untainted by any other personality or emotion. It made her suspect his humanity, but what choice did she have other than to believe that he was merely a human? He was not an angel.

And demons couldn't disguise their presences so perfectly. He was mortal, through and through...though she did find it rather strange that she couldn't seem to sense his soul, or his thoughts. Angels weren't able to mind read, but they had this ability to sense feelings, as well as hear projected thoughts. Mikuo was silent, though - she could sense absolutely nothing from him. Almost like he was dead, on the inside.

Either that, or he just hid his thoughts and feelings, so deeply within himself that she couldn't seek him out. Or perhaps he was skilled at blocking unwanted mental probing? She couldn't imagine how the latter could come about, though. After all, most humans just simply did not have the required concentration that was necessary to ward off angelic probing. So...who was Mikuo Hatsune, precisely?

As she wondered about that, Len's grip on her hand tightened, and Rin came scampering back - scarcely a moment later, Mikuo appeared from behind the Ferris Wheel, his hand rubbing idly against his upper arm. Miku's eyes widened as she saw him approach - a thought sprang to mind at the sight of him. He had been perfectly fine earlier, but now..._he looks so tired. No, not merely tired...he looks exhausted. Beaten._

''What happened?'' she asked, rather impulsively. Mikuo shot her a look - it wasn't exactly a glare, but at the same time, it was a look that said, _Mind your own business. _She shivered a little at that look - it was downright intimidating, and she disliked that a mortal could make her, an angel of the heavens, feel so...wary. No mere human should be able to harm her, so why did she feel this way?

In response to that look, Len stared back at him - and if she didn't know better, she would've said that the young blond was almost...angry. Len was dreadfully protective of her - both the blond twins were. They hated it whenever someone threatened her, or tried to bully her into being frightened. She could hold her own against such people, but she did feel rather touched that the twins cared so much for her.

Mikuo seemed to shake himself, his fingers still sliding, almost affectionately, against his upper arm. She wondered why he kept doing that, but decided against asking him about it - she was rather sure that the only thing she would receive in response would be yet another blank stare. ''Do you want to leave the carnival?'' she asked hesitantly, not liking the reluctance with which she herself spoke. It was so unlike her.

She was not usually so shy, or so nervous of speaking out. But there was just something about Mikuo Hatsune which...unnerved her. There was something in the depths of his cold green eyes which said that he was not someone who appreciated being told things he didn't wish to hear. She had no idea whatsoever what would make him angry, and she didn't dare to risk saying anything which would annoy him.

He shrugged. ''If you want to,'' he answered, his voice expressionless. His voice was completely devoid of emotion, yet it was a sensuous drawl that, somehow, fit in with his darkly handsome looks. He made her think of the Devil himself - that cold aloofness, coupled with his sinfully good looks, would no doubt intrigue many girls. The problem was, she was certain that no girl would ever have her attraction returned.

Miku doubted this boy's ability to love. He didn't look as though he was capable of loving...of thinking of anyone. Even of himself. He looked rather dead, like he was immune to the intense vibrancy of life. Another reason why he prickled at her angelic senses so - this cold treatment of everyone and everything was just...unnatural. He was strange, and she wondered whether helping him would just be a huge mistake.

Rin skipped merrily over to him, beaming up at Mikuo again. Mikuo returned her cheery smile with a scowl, and the teal haired boy turned away from the small blonde, clearly unmoved by Rin's innocence. It made all of her ominous thoughts dissipate, as she watched Rin running in circles around the frowning boy - there was just something about this whole scene which Miku found hilarious. She hid a tiny smile.

Mikuo was trying very hard to ignore the blonde pest. He had no idea what was it about him that she found so interesting - all he knew was that firstly, the human child was irritating the hell out of him, and secondly, Miku was giving him a strangely amused stare which made him think that she was trying to resist laughing. His frown deepened - if there was one thing that he hated, it would be other people laughing at him.

He was the Prince of Hell. The son of Satan, the demonic prince who was so cruel that even the demon High Lords trembled at his approach. He knew that he wasn't exactly being all warm and friendly now, so..._why isn't she frightened of me? _That was one thing that he wanted to know. Others were usually intimidated by him - even those who approached him to try and have a talk. Why was this human not the same?

Perhaps she was very brave...or maybe she was simply stupid. He could forgive a child for being unafraid of him - everyone knew that children were idiots. Especially at such a young age. But a human girl who had to be...eighteen, at the very least, had no such excuse. Stupidity was something that his kind preyed on, and having to rely on something which ought to be his prey really irked him. It was just all so irritating.

''Are we going now, or not?'' he snapped, finally letting some of his inner frustration seep into his usually toneless words. He noted, with no small amount of satisfaction, the subtle widening of her green eyes - maybe she would be more frightened of him now. Even if she wasn't scared of him...he would appreciate a tiny little hint of respect, at least. Not being respected by mere mortals irked him, as well.

''Sure,'' she agreed, her voice soft. Holding on to Len's hand, she turned away, walking in the direction of the carnival exit. The blond male turned around to stare at him, as Miku towed him along - and for some strange reason, Mikuo felt rather...unnerved, by that piercing blue stare. There was something in that intense gaze which spoke of quiet wisdom, a wisdom that ought to be far beyond his years.

Mastema, who had shifted from his back onto his upper arm, stirred restlessly - she didn't like that he was feeling unnerved. It took a great deal to throw Mikuo off like that, and Mastema was not used to her powerful master being startled by anything. _Mikuo? _she voiced out, her words echoing in his mind._ Why is Mikuo feeling so...strange? Is there any danger nearby? Can Mastema come out and eat it?_

_No, you can't. Stay where you are, _he thought back to her. The succubus sulked at his reply, and she fidgeted some more, making him wince at the ticklish sensation - otherwise, she reluctantly did as he said, remaining in her tattoo form on his body. Mikuo didn't intend to let Mastema out of her tattoo form voluntarily, not when there were so many humans around. His pet's sudden appearance, out of nowhere, would be rather difficult to explain away.

''Are you lonely?'' he glanced down, at where the ridiculous question had issued from. Rin was staring inquisitively up at him, her blue eyes wide and impatient looking - as though she was expecting him to actually answer her question. He resisted the urge to let out a derisive snort - there would be no point in wasting his energy on that sort of reaction. Though a snort was really the only answer this question deserved.

''Do I look like I'm lonely?'' he said coldly, his eyes drifting to Miku's back. She was still walking before him, her long teal hair waving gently in the breeze. It was exceedingly long, he noted - he wondered why she would keep her hair at such a length. Especially when she had two brainless children to babysit. Didn't having such long hair only get in the way of her duties? Childcare was probably a...troublesome job.

''You don't,'' Rin answered, surprising him a little. ''But you're lonely...'' she placed a hand over her heart, her blue gaze suddenly changing from innocent to wise, ''on the inside. Even if you refuse to admit it, even though you try and pretend that you don't want other people to befriend you, secretly you feel lonely. You wish that someone would try and talk to you properly, and to get to know you as a person.''

He just stared at the little blonde - the words which had just come out of her mouth were eerily familiar, as though he had heard them before somewhere...in his mind, maybe? She sounded like she was more than a mere six-year-old, at that moment. She sounded like...she knew him. Like she knew of matters that he did not. But then...a mere child? Blinking, he let icy indifference take the place of shock.

''You probably don't even have any idea what you're saying,'' he bit back, unwilling to consider the fact that her words actually made some sense, to him. ''You're nothing but a human child - don't go around spouting nonsense that other people can't understand. No one likes a person who says nothing but gibberish, like that. Do you understand me?'' he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, scowling fiercely.

''You know it's not gibberish. I bet big sis Miku would understand everything which I just said, if you can't understand it. I could repeat it all to her, since I still remember your loneliness. Big sis is nice, and I'm sure that she'll help you to understand too. You're very lonely, Mikuo - that loneliness is like a black sickness, killing what's left of your heart from the inside out. Even if you refuse to admit that you need some help.''

At Rin's words, Mikuo's eyes flicked up to Miku again - his green eyes settled on her silky, untied teal hair, and he couldn't help but feel intrigued once more. It was strange, this mixture of curiosity and distaste - he detested her weakness, her innocence, her...willingness to trust and believe. But that strong distaste was tempered by an insatiable desire to know more about her. To him, she was an...enigma.

_I don't believe that the fact that she has teal hair is a mere coincidence. Teal isn't a natural hair colour. She has to be someone special - she's supposed to do something for me. Or maybe, to mean something to me. But what? _This curiosity was one of the reasons, other than camouflage, why he was willing to follow her home. Normally, he rejected all human contact, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Another reason was...well, she was beautiful. Even if he was the Prince of Hell, he didn't only know of cruelty and violence - he did appreciate beauty, and the finer things in life. Miku Hatsune was no chore to look at, and since she had offered him free lodging, with no strings attached...well, why not? He doubted that, even if this was a trick, there would be anything this fragile girl could do to hurt him, anyway.

Her teal hair was just like his. But at the same time, it was so...different. It was extremely long, and it looked so soft. It reminded him of Mastema's black pelt - the same kind of soft, glossy smoothness that made him want to run his fingers through it. Just so that he could see whether her hair was as silken as he thought. He wondered whether her hair would carry the same sweet vanilla scent that she herself did.

Maybe she was a puzzle that his father had sent to him, so that he could amuse himself while up on the mortal plane. Mikuo wouldn't put it past his father to do such a thing - Satan was a sick bastard, and perhaps his father's intentions were to make him succumb to a mortal beauty. After all, Mikuo had always said that he would never desire someone whose status was not equal to his own. It was belittling for him.

But then again, Satan wouldn't want him to have any reason to stay on the mortal plane, so Mikuo doubted that this girl was under the influence of his father. But then...he couldn't think of any other reason why she would be willing to help him, without expecting anything else in return. Simply out of the kindness of her heart? Not likely. Human beings were selfish creatures, who never did anything without considering their possible rewards, in return.

''You'll find someone to take all the lonely pain away, one day,'' Rin suddenly said, her voice carrying a strange ring of authority, of wisdom that he still refused to believe in. He was not lonely - how could he be? He was a demon of Hell. A demonic aristocrat. Demons revelled in being alone - they were solitary creatures, and they didn't enjoy company unless it was for some kind of mutual benefit. Loneliness...

Well, loneliness was one thing that Mikuo enjoyed. He didn't intend to let anyone remove that black solitude from him. The only creature he had ever allowed to keep him company was his beloved pet - anyone other than Mastema, even his own father, was kept at a distance. He wouldn't change this behaviour just because of the whims of a thoughtless mortal child. No one was worthy of being his companion, anyway.

''Maybe you should learn how to keep your mouth shut,'' Mikuo snapped, in response to her words. Rin didn't break down and cry, or sulk, as he was accustomed to, whenever he snapped at a human child - instead, she just regarded him with those piercing blue eyes...blue eyes that were just like her twin brother's. A piercing gaze which gave the feeling that she could see deeper, past the surface, to his very essence.

''One day, you'll see,'' came her quiet rebuke. Then, thankfully, she finally fell silent - but the damage had already been done. Mikuo was shaken by her words, shaken by the possibility that he really might be feeling lonely. There was a hollowness within him, that had been present ever since he himself was a child - a hollowness he had long learnt how to ignore. Was this...what the mortals called loneliness?

He hadn't liked being alone, not that much. Sometimes, it hurt that he didn't have anyone to confide in - demons were expected to maintain their distance from everyone. They had many acquaintances, but no friends. They operated alone. But Mikuo hadn't liked that very much, when he had been a child, all those centuries ago - which made him different. This strange hatred of being alone, of having no confidants.

Which was why he was so cruel now. He had to prove to himself that, despite his dislike of solitude, he could still be a feared demon of repute. Because of his heritage, because his father had once been an angel, Mikuo hadn't been born wicked. But he had turned himself into a sinner, the moment he had grown out of his weak childhood. He had to, in order to be respected by the rest of his demon brethren.

He had thought that he had managed to get rid of that one, sole weakness, the same moment he had shed his childish conscience. His weakness...isolation. The dread that came with loneliness, which was the only thing that was able to cripple him. But now, the blonde's words brought forth a surge of memories, all of his previous encounters with that hated emotion - and the memories were far from pleasant.

His eyes flicked up to stare at Miku again, who was still holding on to Len's hand. Lonely. Hadn't she herself said before that she was lonely? That the only thing she sought from him, in return for letting him stay at their home, was his company? Maybe he would try to keep Miku company, then - and he would prove to the infuriating brat of a blonde that he was _not _lonely. He was...a loner. All demons were.

_Why are you allowing the words of a mere child affect you? She is no more than a child. A mortal, no less. Her words shouldn't impact you - as a demon, you should know that her words cannot possibly indicate the truth. Demons are creatures who function best when alone - the word loneliness...does not exist, not for our kind. There is no need to worry about that._

His childhood, his weakness then, was nothing more than a distant memory of the past. He was different, now - he had grown into his full lethality, and he did not require companionship of any manner. He preferred to remain all by himself, for that was what gave him strength - in the presence of other people, he became weaker. Didn't he? Because companionship drained the solitary strength of all demons.

Yes. He would prove Rin wrong, because his kind did not ever feel loneliness - but he couldn't help but wonder whether he was trying to prove this to the blonde...or to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Mikuo was beginning to wonder where on Earth Miku Hatsune lived. They had been sitting in a taxi for half an hour already, at least, and they still had yet to arrive at their destination.

He was sitting in the front seat, next to the driver, since he hadn't wanted to be stuck in the back with the two annoying blond twins. Mikuo resisted the urge to turn in his seat and ask Miku where the hell they were going. If they really lived so far away from the damn carnival, then why had they gone there in the first place? The carnival was nothing but a waste of time, anyway. It didn't have anything interesting.

''Turn right here,'' came Miku's quiet voice, and the taxi driver did as she said. Against his better judgement, Mikuo turned back a little to look at the teal haired girl. She was gazing out of the window, staring at the scenery outside as they drove past it. Len was sleeping again, his head resting on Miku's lap. Rin was holding on to Miku's hand, but she wasn't looking out of the window. Her blue eyes clashed with his.

There it was again. That annoying knowingness, like the child knew something that he did not. But how could that be possible? She was no more than a mere human child, whereas he was the Prince of Hell himself. Mikuo's lips pressed into a scowl as he glared back at the blonde brat, but she just shook her head at him, looking away. Mikuo returned his gaze to the front, unsettled by what had just happened.

Why was he allowing himself to be so affected by a mere child? He shouldn't even care about what she said, or how she looked at him - compared to him, she had only lived for the blink of an eye, and he was much wiser and more knowledgeable than she was. Quietly, Mikuo resolved to pay no more heed to that satisfied knowingness he could always see, lurking in her eyes - it meant nothing to him.

The taxi came to a stop, and Mikuo started, jerked out of his reverie. He looked out of the window, then blinked at what he saw - a large, black, ornately wrought gate, imposing and forbidding. Like a sentinel of sorts. He saw a slender hand stretch out from behind him, holding on to a fifty dollar note, and the taxi driver took it. ''Keep the change,'' Miku's soft voice came again. The taxi driver hesitated.

Before he could say anything, Mikuo heard the sound of a door opening, and then Miku was stepping out of the taxi, Len and Rin clutching on tightly to her hands. Hurriedly, Mikuo left the taxi too, standing next to Miku. The tealette was walking up a gravel path, towards the gate, and he trailed after her, looking around to see what kind of place he was in. There didn't seem to be any other estate around, not for miles.

The taxi drove off - he could hear the grinding of gravel beneath its tires as it left them. Mikuo's fingers clenched into fists as he realised that he was now truly stuck with the twins. There wasn't any other sign of humanity around, none save for the trio walking ahead of him. Mikuo exhaled through his nose, trying to calm down - though he really did not like the idea of being stuck with those two. They were such brats.

Earlier, he hadn't paid attention to that fact. He had just wanted lodging, and some way to evade the detection of the demons who would be no doubt searching for him, at his father's behest. When Miku Hatsune had given him the chance to do just that, he had accepted - but it was only now, after he realised that he was stuck with the blond twins, did he realise the other drawbacks of this little plan of his.

He did not like children. And that was that. He made up his mind - he was going to avoid those two as much as possible. After all, from what he could see, their estate was rather large. It should be simple enough to lurk in some corner of the whole place, hiding from the both of them. In all true honesty, the only person out of those three he could semi-tolerate was Miku. Mainly because she wasn't an annoying brat.

_Mikuo? _Evidently, Mastema had sensed his agitation. Agitation was an emotion that came to Mikuo as rarely as uneasiness did, and Mastema didn't like that her master was feeling unhappy. _You don't like them two twins? Them blond ones? _An image of his pet, stalking the two twins, pouncing on them and ripping their heads off, popped into his mind. _Mastema can kill them if Mikuo wants. Sides, she's hungry._

_No, Mastema. _Though he had to admit that the image had given him no small amount of satisfaction. _I don't want you to kill any humans while we're up here. Things will get messy if you do that. Besides, if you kill the two of them, I'll be exposed as a demon. That would make things troublesome for me...it wasn't easy to find free, permanent lodging, Mastema. So I hope you can understand that._

_Why does Mikuo want permanent lodging? _Mastema demanded, and he could feel the tattoo shifting around on his back as she moved, becoming uneasy. _Mikuo is going to go back to Hell soon, isn't he? And he's going to bring Mastema back with him? _Sudden fear tore through him, and he knew Mastema was feeling nervous. _Is Mikuo going to leave Mastema behind on the mortal plane?_

_No, no. Of course not, _Mikuo thought back to her, trying to reassure his pet. _I just want to stay here for a while longer. You know how rarely I get the chance to leave Hell. Don't you find the sweet air of Earth much fresher than the mustiness of Hell? In Hell, the only air we get to breathe reeks of sulphur, _he reminded his pet succubus. Mastema paused at that.

_Fine, _she finally grumbled. _But Mastema wants to go back to Hell as soon as possible. Mikuo's daddy promised to get Mastema a new collar. A black leather one. With spikes. Mastema likes her spikes. Mikuo, your daddy really a very nice man, Mastema doesn't understand why you two always fighting. Mikuo never promised to get Mastema a new collar before._

Mikuo chose not to reply, and Mastema yawned in his mind. He knew that his pet was feeling tired, so he let his consciousness drift away from their link, giving her the freedom to take a nap. Mastema's words, however, lingered behind in his thoughts - his father? Kind? That was not how Mikuo pictured him to be like. Mikuo's father was the Lord of Hell...he was Satan himself, the fallen angel Lucifer.

Yes, he could be kind. At the end of the day, Satan had once been an angel, after all. Satan could be...nice, to those that he did not look down upon - Mikuo knew that his father was rather fond of his pet. Only idiots would dare to look down on the incubi and succubi...they were the strongest demons in Hell, and one thing that they all demanded was respect. Mastema was probably stronger than Satan, physically.

And her demonic prowess was most certainly up to par with Mikuo's own. Yes, Satan did respect Mastema, and he was nice to her. But despite all that, Satan was still the ruler of Hell, and it was his job to ensure that mortal sinners were duly punished for their crimes. Overall, his father was not a kind man, and Mastema was the first demon he had ever heard saying otherwise. That made him wonder a little.

''Mikuo?'' he glanced up at the sound of his name being called, his eyes searching for the source of the voice. Miku was watching him, her long teal hair brushing against her knees in the breeze which had suddenly sprang up, out of nowhere. The twins were nowhere to be seen, and he couldn't help nursing a childish hope - that they had been swallowed up by a monster, and he would never have to see them again.

He also realised that he was quite some distance away from the tealette. Miku was standing before a large mansion - Mikuo stared at the mansion, noticing that it had five storeys. Five storeys...a frown flickered across his face. Then he would have to be careful, should he ever give in to his demon wants here. It would be easy for someone on the fifth storey to look out, and chance upon seeing him outside...

''Mikuo?'' she said again, sounding rather concerned. Mikuo shook himself, making his way over to the tealette. Miku smiled at his approach, and Mikuo had to fight against a sudden urge - the urge to reach out and taint her with his touch. With his words, with sly lies and cunning promises. It was his demonic wants, telling him to corrupt the pure. As usual. He couldn't keep giving in to his demon side...

It was just her innocence. Her purity, and how gullible she was. Damn it, but demons always did love the innocent the best. They were so fun to corrupt. To watch that clean white, slowly turning black from the inside out...he gritted his teeth. No, he was evil, but he wasn't despicable. She hadn't done anything to harm him yet, so there was no reason for him to lash out at her that way. Even he had his own set of morals.

''I take it that the twins...are not poor, then,'' he tilted his head towards the mansion, once he had finally reached Miku. Miku nodded, turning around to stare at the mansion. Mikuo arched an eyebrow, feeling rather satisfied with that - at least he wouldn't be suffering, throughout his stay here. Luxury was something he had been accustomed to while in Hell, and he liked that he would now be able to bask in luxury again.

Hopefully. He still had yet to see the inside of the house. Hopefully, it would be as impressive as the exterior of the large mansion was.

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The interior wasn't too bad, either. He had to admit that. Once inside the mansion, Miku had shown him the way to one of the guest rooms - and strangely enough, the room reminded him of his own room, back in Hell. The wallpaper was black...but it wasn't an evil black. Not really. It was the same shade of black as a soothing night sky. He...rather liked it.

He wondered why Miku had shown him to this guest room, of all the possible rooms that had been available. He knew that there had been other rooms, but she had passed all of them, instead bringing him up all the way here. The moment she showed him his room, she had bade him farewell, then quietly left him alone so he could get used to his new surroundings. She was a very quiet girl, he noticed now.

He wondered whether she could sense that he...was not quite human. But that made no sense. If she could sense that, she wouldn't have let him inside her home, would she? She was such a naive, gullible girl...but then, to show him to this room, of all places? From what he had seen of the rest of the house, its few residents weren't into morbid black. It was strange that Miku gave him an all-black room.

Maybe she could just tell that he wasn't exactly a very positive type of person. And that black was his colour. Well, there wasn't any point in focusing on such a pointless matter, so he put that aside, the same way he put all useless things away. That was how he usually worked. Anything that wouldn't serve in benefiting him, he threw aside, like it was worthless junk. His thoughts now weren't benefiting him, so...

This room was on the fifth floor, and when he looked out of the window, he could see huge sprawling lawns and gardens all over the place. The land that this mansion was situated on was extensive, and it showed how rich the Kagamine brats were. There was even a little pocket of forest at the far edge of the property, and that small copse of trees was what interested him the most. It seemed hidden and secluded.

Mikuo liked hidden and secluded. Secluded places were where he could be himself, without any worries. He didn't have to fear any other people, thinking he was weak for not being cruel. It was tiring, being a prince of Hell. He hated all the expectations that came along with carrying that post - but what was he expected to do? He couldn't just give up his bloodline and past. He couldn't just stop being the prince.

Instantly, he turned away from the window, deciding that he wanted to go and explore those woods. To see what lay in their depths. He intended to make use of the seclusion of those trees...but he had to ensure that no one else was in that domain first. He didn't like to share. As he walked over to the door, he suddenly tensed, his demon senses flaring to life as they snarled uneasily at the door. Mikuo stilled.

_There's an angelic being here. Somewhere. I can feel it. In this house..._immediately, all thoughts of exploration fled his mind. An angel? His lips curled back into a snarl - he didn't care for why there was an angel here. What he did care about was that he get his hands on that angel...and tear them from limb to limb. If there was one thing he hated, it was angels. Arrogant demon killers...the bastards.

He had promised himself before that, if he came across another angel ever again, he would make them regret crossing his path. And finally, he would have a chance to make good on his promise. Besides, it had been far too long since he had last gotten into a decent fight...his powers were just itching to be used now. A small smirk crossed his lips - how strange, that an angel would come to a human residence.

Well, it wasn't like he cared. Even if Miku and the twins caught sight of him killing the angel, he could always just wipe their memories away afterwards. They didn't have to know about the truth...that he was a demon. Slowly, cautiously, Mikuo opened the room door, looking out at the corridor. There wasn't anyone outside, but that just set him on edge, and he carefully slipped out of his room. He wondered where it was.

Where would an angel hide in a human home? Of course, there was still that little matter of why there was an angel here, to begin with - but he didn't concern himself about that. He always hit first, then asked his questions later. Provided his victims were still alive after that. His finely-tuned senses prickled, and his head whipped to the side, his gaze narrowing at the stairs. _The third floor, _his mind whispered.

He followed his instincts, padding softly over to the staircase, ensuring that his feet made not a single sound. The third floor? Yes, the cursed angelic presence was getting stronger now. His smirk widened - the angel would never know what was coming for it. As the prince of Hell, he found it easy to mask his demon scent, and he knew that the angel would be unable to pick up his scent now. There would be no warning...

His back itched - and it wasn't because of Mastema. Mastema was still sleeping on his back, and she hadn't moved a single inch. Mikuo knew exactly why his shoulder blades felt so uncomfortable - he was feeling restless as well, and he knew that he couldn't resist his demonic urges for very much longer. He gritted his teeth. _Soon, _he promised himself. _After I get rid of the angel, I'll set myself free for a while._

This angel was going to deeply regret ever sneaking its way into a human residence.


	8. Chapter 8

_Third floor..._he paused outside the door. His demonic senses were screaming now, telling him that his enemy was there. In that room.

Mikuo gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the urge to maim and kill. He didn't want to lose control and hurt anyone else who might be in the same room as the angel. He was evil, but not despicable - he wouldn't lash out unless someone else provoked him first. That applied to all demons, actually. Not just to him. Most demons weren't as evil as what others thought them to be. They were evil, not despicable.

There was a difference, though most people were unable to distinguish between the two. Mikuo glanced at the door, his fingers curling slowly around the doorknob. His demon senses prickled again - the presence was fading. His eyes widening, Mikuo threw the door open, gaze searching the room - his green eyes met another pair of green ones, her gaze filled with shock. Mikuo and Miku stared at each other.

The angelic presence was completely gone, that was what one half of his mind noted - the other half noticed that...Miku wasn't wearing a shirt. Against his will, his eyes fell from her face to her exposed upper body - she was wearing a lacy white bra, several shades whiter than her own pale skin. Her skin was flawless, without a single blemish in sight. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts, showing off her long legs...

''Mikuo?'' Miku squeaked, backing away from him. She scrabbled for her pink shirt - it was lying on the bed next to her - and held it against her body, her face flaming. The teal haired boy was plainly gawking at her, his eyes wide. She wondered why he was still staring at her. ''I...I'm changing, Mikuo!'' she protested. _Why is he still looking? It's so different from Len and Rin. When they do this...it's just not the same!_

''I...I-'' was he blushing? He quickly averted his gaze, his teal hair falling forward to cover his face. Without another word, he slammed the door shut, leaving her alone in her room. Miku let out a sigh of relief, allowing the shirt to drop back on the bed. That was so strange. It just wasn't the same as when Len and Rin stumbled across her changing. They were only children.

Mikuo was different. He was older, and he...he was almost an adult. He was eighteen, wasn't he? She was fine with the two Kagamine twins running around her room while she was trying to change - they were young, and they didn't appear to mind either. Besides, Miku never had understood why humans were uncomfortable with letting others see them naked. It wasn't anything shameful, was it? It was...natural.

But now, she thought she might understand it. When Mikuo was staring at her just now...she felt so embarrassed. Not because she thought that she was ugly, or anything like that - she just felt...ashamed, for some reason. Like she was revealing something that others shouldn't see. She didn't know why - she had never felt this way before. Angels didn't mind exposing their skin. It was a part of who they were.

Bodies were part of the Lord's gift, and their skin was proof of His divine love for all. It was almost sinful, covering up such a wonderful creation of the Lord. Miku couldn't understand why humans clothed themselves, and were so hesitant and ashamed of nudity. Angels did not walk around naked, since their robes were comfortable and pleasant to wear in the colder winds of the heavens. Humans, however...

Now Miku didn't understand herself. Why did she feel this way about Mikuo seeing her like that? In her topless state? And...why did Mikuo react that way, like he was...embarrassed, as well? In the end, she decided to push all these questions aside. They weren't important. Her job was to guard the Kagamine twins, and that was all. She didn't need to question anything else. Miku only had to stick with her duties.

She was thankful that Mikuo had not stumbled into her room - she realised she hadn't found out why he suddenly did such a thing - a few seconds earlier. She had been stretching her angel wings just now. Her wings were tired of being cooped up all the time, so she extended them for a while, letting them stretch for a bit. If Mikuo had walked in any earlier, he definitely would have seen her pure white wings...

And then that would blow her cover. She could not alter the memory of a mortal - she wasn't powerful enough to do that. Tampering with the mind was a skill reserved solely for the higher angels. The archangels. Typical angels like her were not capable of doing such a complicated procedure. She knew demons could do this, but like the angels, only the royalty of Hell could even begin to try to meddle with the mind.

Human minds were some of the most powerful forces in the world. Angels, demons, the mind...they were all metaphysical. All three had some distinguishing factors which made them...unlike each other. Angels were innately kind. Demons were innately evil. Humans were...ingenious. They were clever, and came up with all manner of inventions that neither angels nor demons would think of. Humans were always curious.

Curiosity was something angels and demons alike lacked. Without curiosity, they did not ever advance, instead remaining as what they were. But humans were curious, and because of that, they did things that angels and demons could not. Human minds were puzzles, complex and beautiful in their own way, and to tamper with a mind...it required skill. Patience. Dexterity.

She didn't have those. She wasn't good enough to alter the mind of a mortal. She couldn't work out the pathways and passages which linked up together, forming chains of memories. Nor did she want to try wiping someone's memory - without the knowledge of how to do so, it was possible that she might end up destroying that person's mind. And she didn't ever want that.

Besides, could she even delve into Mikuo's mind, to begin with? She wasn't capable of reading his thoughts. She didn't know what was going on in his mind, because she simply could not batter down the barriers that surrounded his mind. He was such an enigma, and she wondered if she would ever be able to know what his thoughts were. He was so aloof, his aura so black - yet, she was sure she had spotted gold in him...

Gold was good. Black was not. Was he kind or mean? Was he good or evil? She didn't know, and that uncertainty frustrated her. Rin and Len seemed to trust him, since they both didn't try to warn her to stay away from him - but she failed to see any signs which indicated that he was trustworthy. He gave her no reasons to let down her guard around him, this boy with the teal hair and emerald eyes. So like her own.

As an angel, Miku did her best to see the good within everyone. It was part of her, to be kind and caring. Sympathetic. But sometimes, she wondered whether it was silly, the way angels trusted and cared, no matter who or what it was for. Even demons. Angels could not help but be concerned - the only ones who could stand up against the demons were the angel warriors. She, just a simple guardian angel, could not.

Miku had never been an...accepted angel. The others did not spurn her, or turn her into an outcast - it was not in the nature of the angels to disregard their own. But she had always sensed their wariness, their uncertainty, when they spoke to her. Angels were trusting, yet none of them trusted her. Her brethren would rather believe strangers than her. An angel.

_Angels accept everyone and everything. We are a kind race, and we do not judge simply by the cover. We try our hardest to believe that there is good in everyone, unless we really have no choice but to think otherwise. Do not see this willingness to trust as foolish, Miku. The ability to believe in another...it is a rare gift, and it is not easy to make use of. You will find that it is harder than you think, to trust another._

Those were the words of her mother, who was distrusted and guarded against as well. Just like her. Like mother, like daughter, or so they said. Miku understood what her mother meant. It was hard, so hard, to be positive every day, and believe that there was inherent goodness in all the people around her. _Why should I believe in that if I don't see proof of it? _She believed. She tried. But sometimes, she just...couldn't do it.

Mortals thought that angels were genuine and kind, through and through. But that was not the case. Just like how darkness did not necessarily mean evil, light did not always bring good. She was not pure, and she was ashamed of it. The doubtful thoughts which ran through her mind, making her stay up late at night, making her wonder and worry - _am I really an angel? What if I take after my father? Will I...be like him?_

Her father. She had never met him - she knew what had happened to him, and she preferred not to think about it. To her, to all the angels, her father had long ceased to exist. Her father was no more, no matter how much she wished he would be around. She needed guidance. Her father had been the perfect angel, but then he was gone now, and she...she wondered what it would be like. If he was still around with her.

He had died before she was born, so she never knew who he was. But her mother told her what he had done, and she sometimes thought about what life would be like, if she followed in his footsteps. It remained as speculation. She would never risk her life now - she was too attached to Len and Rin to do such a ridiculous thing - but she wondered. Like she did now.

Were wondering, exploring, being curious...all sins? If so, was keeping a secret a sin, as well? Secrets and lies were sins, so wasn't she being sinful this way? She was hiding who she truly was. She was an angel, yet she could not show her real form. Stuck in the shape of a mortal, she was nought but a guardian angel, lying to protect her brethren from exposure. Why was she doing such a thing, if lying was a sin in the eyes of Heaven? This was all so...complex.

Miku picked her shirt up, slowly tugging it over her body. She thought that she might as well find Mikuo, and show him around the house. She hadn't done that yet, instead just bringing him straight to his room. She tried not to think about how...embarrassing that incident was, just now. Surely he hadn't meant to just walk into her room while she was changing. He didn't even know where her room was, after all.

She just wanted to know why _she _herself was so flustered about the whole thing. She didn't mind exposing her body - so why did she feel this way now? Because...Mikuo was different, somehow? He was a teenage boy, after all. And she knew that...human teenagers were rather hormonal. Especially the boys. Were they both embarrassed just because of this? She frowned, biting idly on her lower lip as she thought.

It didn't matter. This wouldn't happen again, so she didn't have to think about it. She was an angel. He was not. There was no need to keep puzzling over the strangeness of humans.

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Mikuo rubbed tiredly at his eyes, leaning back against the wall. He was feeling confused, and that was saying something, for he was always sure of himself. What was wrong with this girl? She was so...he didn't know how to explain it.

It was just that he hadn't been expecting that sort of reaction. He knew what human girls were like. She ought to have screamed at him, telling him to get out of her room. But she had not. Instead, all she did was point out the obvious - that she was changing. He could see that perfectly well, without any assistance from her. She was such a strange girl, he thought.

Why hadn't she screamed at him? If she had done that, he would have snapped out of his daze earlier, and he wouldn't have just stayed there, staring at her. Hell, he hadn't wanted to stare at her. She was a beautiful girl, but the thing was, Miku Hatsune was a _mortal. _She was nothing but a pathetic human. It didn't matter how beautiful she was, or how pale and perfect her skin was. She was human. End of the line.

Demons and humans didn't mix. It wasn't only because humans were their prey, and were therefore beneath them. It was also because...humans were weak and fragile, and their lives were easily snuffed out. Just a bright flame, burning at the tip of a candle. It went out as quickly as it lit up, burning as beautifully and brightly as it could, before it was extinguished, leaving behind only darkness and cold ashes.

He needed someone immortal. If he were to ever find a mate, it couldn't be...a human. She was far too weak to be with him, too frail and short-lived and...mortal. She was a mortal, and he couldn't forget that. She was stunning, he could not deny that - stunning for a human, that was - but she would die long before he did. He was a demon, and his mate would be a demon as well. That was only to be expected of him.

He tried to think about other things, avoiding the memory of creamy skin and pure white. An innocent, pure white he wanted to taint, so very badly. Instead, his mind drifted to other things. That angel...where had it gone? The angelic presence he had sensed disappeared just a second before he entered the room. He was so disappointed about it. Just a second earlier...

Earlier, he had been nursing a faint suspicion - a suspicion so ridiculously preposterous that it just might have been true - that Miku was the angel, and she had hidden her angelic presence because she knew he was coming. But after a while, after he kept thinking about it, over and over again, he realised that it was impossible. Angels couldn't hide their presences so well. Miku was definitely human, he was certain.

And anyway, even if she wasn't human, there was no way she could have known that he was a demon. So the disappearance of the angelic presence was most probably a coincidence. He just wondered...why was the angel in Miku's room? Watching her change? From what he knew, angels did not lust for the flesh. They procreated for their kind, not because of love, lust or anything else. Just like demons.

Angels embodied love, warmth and acceptance, but they did not _love. _It was the love a mother felt for her child, the love a person would feel for his friends...but it wasn't _love. _The kind of love a man would feel for his wife. Angels did not love that way. Angels were removed from the realm of lust and need. They were simply divine beings, overseeing the humans. They did not have any physical needs, unlike mortals.

As for demons...the demons embodied hate, coldness and loneliness. They did not love. Like the angels, the only reason why they would take a mate was because they had to produce offspring. It was never because they loved their mates. To them, mates were a...trophy. They fought and killed to get the best demons to be their other halves. If their mates ever died, they would simply take a new one. That was all.

Mikuo would be expected to take a mate one day, so he could pass down the royal blood. He didn't want to do such a thing. Mikuo was more cold and ruthless than most demons were, and he revelled in the blackness that was solitude. He didn't want to have a companion - he could barely tolerate his father by his side, let alone another demon he had no blood relation to. His pet was the only exception to this rule he set.

He tilted his head, wondering about why the angel would be in the same room as Miku. Was it because she was...special, in some way? She might be. To the angels, and to the demons...she was ridiculously naive and gullible. It was proven, since she had allowed a stranger into her home. She didn't even know who he was, what he was truly like. It just spoke for how damn trusting she was. How...frustrating.

Innocent fools were like aphrodisiacs for his kind. The perfect people to tempt into sin. To taint and corrupt and deceive. He knew that it would be difficult to restrain himself from doing such a thing - she was so beautiful, and she was so naive. It was the perfect combination - she lured in both his demon side and his eye for beauty. She would be the perfect target. But he didn't want to corrupt her. He just...didn't.

He didn't lash out unless he was angered first. She had done nothing to offend him, and he...he knew when he owed someone a debt. She had helped him, and he would repay her by not making her fall to his clutches. It sounded so ridiculously simple. _Don't make a deal with her, that's all. _But it was so hard to actually do that. To resist the urge to make a contract. He was a demon. Making contracts was in his blood.

Humans always had some kind of wish, some selfish desire they wanted to have fulfilled. The moment a mortal signed a contract with one of his kind, they would be deemed a sinner, and be consigned to Hell for evermore. The only reason why demons tempted these people was because of boredom, for there was nothing to do in Hell. With these souls in Hell, demons were free to torture them all they wished.

It was the only thing they could do to alleviate their boredom. Torturing these people. In fact, some High Lords had even started a competition between themselves, to see who could hunt the most prey within a certain amount of time. Not that Mikuo ever took part in these ridiculous competitions. He had better things to do with his time. Mikuo rarely seduced the mortals.

He found it stupid. Boring. Meaningless. And he did not like doing meaningless things. Torturing people in Hell...he found it repetitive. If he sought entertainment, he could always just play around with his pet. There was never any need for him to have the souls of humans in Hell, not for any reason. But this time...he looked around, his eyes lingering on the door of Miku's room.

There might be a reason for him to do so. Which was why he knew that resisting her, resisting the urge to make a contract with this foolishly beautiful girl, would be a task to test his mettle. For once, he wasn't sure about whether or not he could actually do this. Never before had he had problems when it came to willpower-related tasks, but Miku was a different case. She was more than just the average human.

She was more tempting, more beautiful, more innocently gullible than others. But he would not let that affect him. He would live with her, but he would not succumb to his demonic urges like a mere lesser demon. He was the Prince of Hell, and he would behave like so by being able to resist the urge to corrupt. He was more than a weak demon - he was nothing like the scum of the first floor of Hell, and everyone knew it.

He would most definitely resist her innocence, or else his name was not Mikuo Hatsune.

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_**Solitaryloner: **__Reviews please? Reviews are love! And I need love! Because I have no love!_


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